Leviticus 20:3

3 I will turn[a] against that man and cut him off from his people, because he gave his offspring to Molech, defiling My sanctuary and profaning My holy name.

Leviticus 20:3 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 20:3

And I will set my face against that man
Express resentment, anger, wrath, and indignation at him, see ( Psalms 34:16 ) : and will cut him off from among his people:
that is, supposing him to have been guilty of the above horrid crime, and there being not sufficient evidence given of it by witnesses, or the magistrates negligent in doing their duty; and the matter being known to God the omniscient, he, according this declaration, would deal with him himself, and cut him off out of the land of the living, from among his relations, friends, and neighbours, by his own immediate hand; otherwise the law before provided a penalty, which is death by stoning, whereby he would be effectually cut off from his people, and deprived of all natural, civil, and religious privileges in this life, and sent into everlasting punishment in another, unless forgiving grace should be vouchsafed: because he hath given of his seed to Molech;
an iniquity to be punished by the judge, and deserving of everlasting wrath and destruction: to defile my sanctuary;
not by doing this horrid action in it, but by coming into it, having done it; or by offering sacrifice in another place than where God had commanded, as well as such a sacrifice as was abominable to him, sacrifice being to be offered nowhere but on the altar of the Lord in the sanctuary. Jarchi interprets this of the congregation of Israel, which was sanctified to the Lord, in the midst of which this wickedness was committed, and with which they were polluted: and to profane my holy name:
by sacrificing to an idol, when sacrifice should be offered to God; and such a sacrifice as would cause the name of God, and his holy laws, and true religion, to be blasphemed and evil, spoken of among the Gentiles, ( Romans 2:23 Romans 2:24 ) .

Leviticus 20:3 In-Context

1 The Lord spoke to Moses:
2 "Say to the Israelites: Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death; the people of the country are to stone him.
3 I will turn against that man and cut him off from his people, because he gave his offspring to Molech, defiling My sanctuary and profaning My holy name.
4 But if the people of the country look the other way when that man gives any of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death,
5 then I will turn against that man and his family, and cut off from their people both him and all who follow him, prostituting themselves with Molech.

Footnotes 1

Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.